Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/108113
How to Bill Clients for Missed Appointments I suggest estheticians always take a credit card from new clients to confirm the appointment. If you are not set up to accept credit cards, you can still easily bill clients' credit cards through online sources such as Square or PayPal. Be very specific about your cancellation procedure in advance and have clients verbally agree that they will be obligated to pay you for any missed appointment. Every time you book (or rebook) a client, you need to reiterate your rescheduling policy. Even if she is calling to book at the last minute and will be there within the hour, you'll want to say, "Karen, I know you are leaving your office now to come down to see me, and just as a reminder, we are within my rescheduling window, so this is a confirmed appointment, right?" By saying these words, she is more committed to you and much less likely to call you in a few minutes and say she changed her mind. Once you have a credit card on file, if the client does not show or changes appointments within the rescheduling window, it is understood you will put the charge on the credit card. The key here is to be sure clients know your policy. It is unfair to charge a client for something she didn't know she was responsible for. Some clients will not want to give a credit card in advance. In this case, I suggest you say appointments without a credit card in advance are tentative only; if someone else calls wanting that time slot, and is able to confirm it with a credit card, you will give the time slot to that person. If that happens, the tentative client is called to let her know a confirmed client has taken the appointment time. In the few cases at my wellness center where a client did not want to give a credit card, I felt we did not lose out on anything; these usually aren't committed clients. Yikes! Yes, it is possible to say this with a calm voice, integrity, and consideration for your client. Yes, it's scary, and yes, she might not like it, but as long as she knew your policy when booking the session, you are simply enforcing your own rules. It's important to create and state your cancellation/ rescheduling policies in advance, both to inform veteran clients of your new guidelines and to make sure new clients are fully aware of the consequences of cancelling. By having a policy in place, you are establishing expectations and creating a safety net to ensure you are in charge of your schedule. Irene Diamond is an educator, public speaker, and business coach who enjoys enlightening fitness trainers, massage therapists, and other "therapreneurs." Reach her at www.facebook.com/ therapysuccess or www.successfulmassagetherapist.com. Always refer to your policy as a "Rescheduling Policy" rather than a "Cancellation Policy." Rescheduling Details Rescheduling to come in earlier than the planned appointment is different. If a client wants to get in earlier⎯and you can do it—of course do it, and gently let her know you are making an exception to your rescheduling policy. By seeing the client earlier, it frees up your later appointment time for another client. If a client asks to shorten a planned appointment from 90 minutes to one hour, keep in mind it is the same as cancelling 30 minutes. Don't let her slide on this. Practice saying this in advance, as it's not easy to say but important to do: "Thank you for calling. I've reserved the full 90-minute appointment time for you, and of course I can shorten your appointment length, but since we are within my rescheduling window, and since I did not book someone else in your time and am holding it for you, I will still need to charge you for the full 90-minute session." Get connected to your peers @ www.skincareprofessionals.com 29